Mongkong Magic
Posted in Articles, Thai Culture on June 10, 2010
Mongkong Magic
By Christian Brazil Bautista
Every martial art has an emblem of courage and skill. Japanese disciplines like judo, aikido and karate has its colored belts. Capoeira has the cordão. In Muay Thai, the mongkong serves as a symbol of strength and spirit. The mongkong, a traditional headpiece circlet worn by fighters as they enter the ring, is integral to Muay Thai culture. The headpiece is considered as a representation of the fighter’s respect for his gym and instructor.
Back in ancient Siam, warriors tied bandana-like cloths around their heads before going into battle. This practice is often paired with the chanting of Buddhist incarnations such as “Gam Baan Nak Muen (the clenched fist weighing many thousands).” The mongkong was said to give fighters supernatural powers such as invulnerability.
To this day, a certain level of spirituality is still tied in to the Mongkong. It is customary for Buddhist monks to bless the headpiece. The monks would say a series of prayers as the fighter kneels before them with the mongkong on. This is said to remove bad omens or any spirit that may have a negative impact on the fight. As a sort of answer to the blessing, fighters would light candles and incense and make an offering to Buddha. The popular choice for a gift is flowers. Tradition dictates that mongkongs have to be brought to a temple before they are worn in the ring.
Fighters wear the mongkongs as they perform the “Wai Kroo,” a traditional dance that shows respect to their teachers, the art of Muay Thai and the Kingdom of Thailand. Honor and respect is a big part of Muay Thai tradition. A gym and its fighters can lose face if a representative is unprepared, dishonorable and disrespectful in the ring. The mongkong is a big part of making a good representation as a Muay Thai fighter.
